FIRE: One building evacuated as small grass fire burns near Camp Pendleton's main gate

Fire crews battled a grass fire near Camp Pendleton's main gate in Oceanside on Thursday afternoon, a blaze that injured three firefighters, according to military officials and the base's Facebook page.

The grass caught fire about 2:10 p.m., and reached between three to five acres by 4 p.m., 1st Lt. Ryan Welsh said. As of about 5:30 p.m., the fire was about 80 percent surrounded, and no structures were threatened, according to
the Facebook posting
, which is where base officials post news and information.

The three firefighters received injuries "due to heat or inhalation," according to the online posting. One of them was transported to a local hospital with moderate injuries, while the other two received minor injuries and were treated at the scene, according to the online post.

Heavy smoke from the fire was visible throughout the area, and it led officials to briefly close Vandegrift Boulevard between Stewart Mesa Road and Wire Mountain Road, and then open one lane of Vandegrift in each direction.

Drivers traveling through the area should expect traffic delays, Welsh said.

A waste water treatment plant near the fire site ---- known on base as 20 Area ---- was evacuated shortly after the fire started, the base reported on Facebook.